Leire Pajín analyzes at IEDE Business School the conclusions of the Donors’ Conference for the reconstruction of Haiti

Spain has sufficient knowledge and experience to lead the reconstruction and to help the Haitian authorities with the recovery plan, at both a social and political level. This was indicated by the General Secretary of the PSOE (Spanish Workers’ Socialist Party), Leire Pajín, during her lecture given to the students of the Master’s Degree in Trade and International Economic Relations at IEDE Business School part of Universidad Europea de Madrid.

During her speech, in which she analyzed the conclusions drawn from the Donors’ Conference for the Reconstruction of Haiti that took place on March 31st in New York, she not only set out the responsibility taken on by Spain in the reconstruction of Haiti following the earthquake, that has coincided with the Spanish Presidency of the European Union, but in addition indicated the commitment our country has made toward this nation since 2005, when the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation classified it as a priority country. “Our role goes beyond the reconstruction itself. We were there before the earthquake, we were there during it and we will be there afterwards”, she explained. Hence, the Agency already has an office in Haiti, which is why the work undertaken by Spain “is a medium- to long-term commitment, and not just temporary solidarity in light of the events. We will continue to be present even when the spotlights have been turned off”, she commented.

Leire Pajín also recalled that in the past it was precisely the solidarity of countries such as France or Germany that allowed Spain “to become the country that we are today”, at the same time as urging the international community not to forget Haiti. In line with the comments made at the Donors’ Conference, she drew attention to the importance of private initiative in the reconstruction process in Haiti.

Training, the key element for development
The General Secretary of the PSOE also indicated that the education of the population is a key element in this reconstruction process. Currently the level of illiteracy in young people and adults is 50%.

In this respect, and from the point of view of international cooperation, she explained the importance of working so that countries in the process of development “are able to have Universities as good as the Spanish ones and that the talent which comes here to be trained, thanks to collaboration scholarships, reinvests its knowledge in the development of their own countries”.